Extensible chain.



No. 771,878. PATBNTED OCT. 11, 1904.

- E. O. GIPE.

EXTENSIBLE CHAIN.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14 1904 N0 MODEL.

3 4 u m I h I I I I I I I I I I lllllllll a i did a Z UNITED STATES Patented October 11, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

EXTENSIBLE CHAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,873, dated October 11, 1904. Application filed July 14, 1904.. Serial No. 216,621. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EMANUEL C. GIPE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improved Extensible Chain, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which corresponding letters of reference in the different figures indicate like parts.

Those who are obliged to carry chains for the securing of keys or for other analogous uses often find them objectionable, owing to the length to which they must be made in order to enable the keys or other articles attached thereto to be properly manipulated.

The object of my invention is to overcome this objection by providing an extensible chain which shall be so constructed that the normal length thereof shall be much less than that of chains ordinarily applied to the uses suggested, but which may be readily extended to the desired length by applying slight tension thereto. I accomplish said object in the manner hereinafter more particularly described, and definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view of my improved device as it would be constructed for use as a key-chain. Fig. 2 is a similar View of a chain. showing attachments at the respective ends thereof to adapt it for use as a watch-chain. Fig. 3 is a View of a portion of such chain as it would appear when extended. Fig. 4 is a perspective view, greatly enlarged, of a part or element of one of the links of such chain; and Fig. 5 is a like view of a counterpart element adapted to coact therewith.

Referring to the drawings, (4 represents a bar, preferably made from flat wire, one end of which is riveted to a flat plate or guide member 6, arranged at right angles thereto and provided with perforations 0 near its respective ends. A U-shaped wire d of substantially the same length as the bar a has its parallel arms passed loosely through the perforations 0, while the ends of said arms are passed through openings in a plate or counterpart guide member a, corresponding to the perforations in the plate 6 and riveted therein, as shown in ff. Said plate e is also provided with an elongated opening 9, Fig. 4:, midway between the arms of the part (Z. A spiral spring it is interposed between the plates 6 and e, which spring is held in place by being coiled around the bar a. One end of the bar a is provided with a slot or perforation a, (clearly shown in Fig. 5,) which is adapted to receive the loop end of the member (Z of the next succeeding link.

In assembling my improved chain one end of the bar a is first riveted to the plate 6. Said bar is then projected through the coils of a spring it, with one end of the spring bearing against the plate 6. The U-shaped member d is then projected through the perforations 0, with its free end adjacent to the perforated end of the bar a. The plate 6 is then fitted in place, with the perforated end of the bar a projecting loosely through the opening g and the ends of the arms of the part d in the perforations formed to receive them.

Said ends are then upset or riveted, as described, when the link is complete. The loop of the part d of the next link is then passed through the slot 71 in the projecting end of the bar a, when the operation above described is repeated. This operation is continued until the chain is of the desired length, when any suitable fastenings may be attached to the respective ends.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a peculiar-shaped loop j, secured to one end of the chain, which loop is adapted to engage a button upon a garment, while to the other end is attached an ordinary key-ring 70.

In Fig. 2 the usual swivel Z and bar m of a watch-chain are attached to the ends, respectively, of said chain by means of any wellknown form of link connection.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the chain is shown as it would appear normally, while in Fig. 3 it is represented as being fully extended.

From the foregoing it will be seen that each link of the chain is composed of counterpart members adapted to slide upon each other in opposite directions while maintained in normal positions by means of the coiled spring interposed between them.

As a key-chain the advantages of my improved device are obvious, contracting, as it does, to the desired limit, while a very slight tension thereon enables it to be extended to arms length. Should it catch upon an obstruction when worn as a watch-chain, its

yielding would serve in most cases not only to prevent breakage, but as a timely warning to the wearer. The uses of said chain may obviously be greatly varied.

An obvious and important advantage of the wide flat bar, the plane of which is at right angles to that of the counterpart U-shaped member, is that the edges of the flat bar being in contact with the interior of the coiled spring serve to hold said spring in the plane of said bar, while the inner surfaces of the U-shaped member bearing upon the outer 0pposite parts of said spring serve in turn to keep it in alinement in the plane of said U- shaped member, thereby preventing a distortion of the spring. Moreover, the manner in which the flat bar and U-shaped member are connected, respectively, with the end pieces insures the maintenance of said parts in planes at right angles to each other.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. As an improved article of manufacture, an extensible chain consisting of a series of links each of which is composed of a bar having a perforated guide member rigidly attached to one end, a U-shaped member having its arms passed loosely through the perforations in said guide member, a guide member rigidly secured to the ends of the arms of said U-shaped member, said bar being passed loosely through said last-named guide member, and a spiral spring interposed between said guide members.

2. An extensible chain comprising a series of links, each of which is composed of a bar and a U shaped member having their opposite ends rigidly attached to perforated guide members, through a perforation in one of which said bar is loosely passed in one direction, while said U-shaped partis loosely passed in an opposite direction through perforations in the counterpart guide member, and a spiral spring surrounding said bar and interposed between said guide members, the loop of said U-s'haped member in one link being jointedly connected with the protruding end of the bar in the next link of the series.

3. An extensible link comprising a bar and a U -shaped member having their opposite ends rigidly attached to perforated guide members through a perforation in one of which said bar is loosely passed in one direction, while said U-shaped member is loosely passed in an opposite direction through perforations in the counterpart guide member, and a spiral spring surrounding said bar and interposed between said guide members.

4:. An extensible link comprising a bar elongated in cross-section, and a U-shaped member having their opposite ends rigidly attached to perforated guide members through an elongated perforation in one of which said bar is loosely passed in one direction, while said U- shaped member is loosely passed in an opposite direction through perforations in the counterpart guide member and a spiral spring surrounding said bar and interposed between said guide members.

5. An extensible link comprising a flat bar and a U-shaped member having their opposite ends rigidly attached lto' guide members through an elongated perforation in one of which said bar is loosely passed in one direction while said U-shaped member is loosely passed in an opposite direction through' perforations in the counterpart member, the plane of said bar being at right angles to that of said U-shaped member, and a spiral spring surrounding said bar between the arms of said U-shaped member and interposed between said guide members.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 12th day of July, 1904.

EMANUEL C. GIPE; 

